Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Amondi Nyong’o is the actress who played the iconic character of Maz Kanata in Star Wars. She was born in Mexico City on March 1, 1983 and is a Kenyan actress and model with Mexican citizenship.

Her first major role as an actress is in the award-winning 12 Years a Slave film (2013). Her interpretation of Patsey has received critical acclaim and numerous awards including the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and the SAG Award for Best Supporting Film Actress. Nyong’o is the first Kenyan and Mexican actress to win an Academy Award. She later appeared in the hit Disney Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), The Jungle Book (2016), and Queen of Katwe (2016)